Gay Leipzig

Gay Leipzig

Emergency measures in the wake of Covid-19:

On March 16th German border controls were introduced with Austria, Denmark, France, Luxembourg and Switzerland. The German federal government also announced the closure of many non-essential retail outlets with the exception of food stores, pharmacies, banks, gas stations, post offices, hairdressers, news shop, laundromats, gardening and pet supplierss, and wholesalers. The German government will maintain current restrictions on restaurants, fitness studios, tourist spots and larger shops until May 18th at the earliest.

On March 22nd the premier of North Rhine-Westphalia state said that Germany will ban public meetings of more than two people unless they are going about work to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

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Founded in 1015, Leipzig reached its cultural apex in the 17th century, particularly in music, optics and astronomy. The famous debate between Martin Luther and John Eck concerning the Reformation took place here in 1519. Other intellectual luminaries associated with Leipzig include Johann Sebastian Bach, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, and Richard Wagner who was born here, but did not work in the city.

Leipzig was Germany's most important German publishing center until Nazi times. Early homosexual writers Karl Heinrich Ulrich and Magnus Hirschfeld published works, including Hirschfeld´s pioneering 1901 book, ¨What People Must Know About the Third Sex.´ It was again a center for homosexual political discourse from around 1970 on. The GDR (East Germany) had decriminalized homosexuality in 1957, and made it fully legal in 1967, 25 years before the West Germans. Activists in this city figured large in that accomplishment. Leipzig also developed into a major center for the East German peace movement. Huge demonstrations in 1987-89 contributed to the fall of the Wall in 1989, and the subsequent re-unification of Germany.

Always a trading city, Leipzig has Germany's largest trade fair, one of the largest in the world. In 2006 the World Cup played here confirming Leipzig's standing as a major sports center. Situated about half-way between Berlin and Prague, just over 2 hours from each by train or autobahn, this is a favorite stopping-off point for travelers.

As a gay mecca, Leipzig has come increasingly into its own, boasting a variety of bars, party nights and other establishments. Cited as one of the world´s most liveable cities it retains many pre-war buildings, unlike neighboring Dresden which was devastated in World War II. Leipzig was largely spared and many older neighborhoods remain in a very walkable district of about 20 blocks downtown. The annual Christopher Street Day gay festivities take place each July and other city festivals include the Bachfest, in honor of the composer each June.

Getting here

The Leipzig-Halle Airport connects to the A9 (Berlin-Munich) and A14 (Dresden-Magdeburg-Hanover) autobahns. FlughafenExpress and Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn trains connect the airport to Leipzig Central Station - a trip of 14 minutes with one stop at the Leipzig Trade Fair - departing every 30 minutes. See Deutsche Bahn for online information.

Bus companies also have service to downtown Leipzig. IC-Bus has scheduled bus connections from Leipzig/Halle to many destinations in Germany, including Munich, Berchtesgaden, Berlin, and Eisenach.

Getting around

LVB is the local transportation system, with an extensive network of trams, light rail trains and buses across the region. For an English-language overview of trams and buses see the Stadt Leipzig site on transportation.

Media & Resources

Stadt Leipzig has web pages devoted to history and tips on tourist and cultural attractions, sports, and places to eat in this city, in five languages.

Travel Gay Europe has up-to-date listings for gay Leipzig, along with many other cities around the world.

Frauenkultur Leipzig, a women's meeting place and community center, featuring art and culture of women; visual and performing arts, music, literature, and new media - by professional and up-and-coming artists.